Perth

The Western Australian government has announced the opening of the recently completed Ellenbrook Line on Sunday 8 December. Beginning at Bayswater Station, the project includes 21 kilometres of new track and five new stations at Morley, Noranda, Ballajura, Whiteman Park and Ellenbrook in Perth's north-east.

Designed by Woods Bagot in collaboration with architects Taylor Robinson Chaney Broderick and landscape architects TCL and UDLA, designs for the line's new stations were first unveiled in 2021. The project has been under construction by the Melconnx Consortium led by Laing O'Rourke Australia since early 2022.

Jointly funded by the commonwealth and state governments, the $1.65 billion project is the largest public transport project since the city's Mandurah Line was completed in 2007. According to Woods Bagot, the new line fills a void in Perth's north-east - an area with the city's highest level of car usage and forecasted annual population growth of more than 6.5 percent.

Woods Bagot principal Kukame McPierzie said, "The train line to Ellenbrook will be transformational for the communities it will serve in this growing part of Perth. We've designed the five stations and precincts as a 'family', each with common elements and characteristics that are informed by the local context."

Inspiration for one of the project's key unifying elements - its folded roof forms - has been drawn from local native flora and surrounding suburban built forms. At each station, the integration of bespoke elements has been driven by a desire to showcase their unique cultural significance and strengthen the sense of local identity.

Despite having recently completed Sydney's Central Station renovation (in collaboration with John McAslan Partners) and Crows Nest station, "this project marks a significant milestone for Woods Bagot," said the firm's regional transport and project design leader Neil Hill. "It's our first full rail line project, distinct from our previous work on individual stations and developments. We're not just building parts of the network - we're crafting the entire journey."

McPierzie commented, "We can't wait to see the community start to embrace and use the stations when the Metronet Ellenbrook Line opens in December."